Bubble Tea: A Fun And Flavorful Tea Variation
Tired of the latest fad coffees? Something new is hitting tea houses and coffeeshops across the country. It’s bubble tea. This bizarre drink also goes by the names boba, pearl tea, milk tea, or bubble drink. It’s part drink, part dessert snack, and all fun!
Most recently it has become very popular in the late 1990’s, although it originated over 10 years ago. It is a mixture of ice or hot tea, cream and flavorings. The original version of the tea was black tea, tapioca balls, milk and honey. Although there have been numerous variations on the original. Most generally, there is less sugar used than carbonated beverages or soft drinks.
The tea was then modified with fruit versions such as peach or plum. Today you can find tea shops similar to coffee bars and juice bars. Other flavors used are raspberry, mocha, coconut, cinnamon and other flavors. These flavorings are added as syrups, powder or the actual pulp of the fruit. The mixture is then shaken similar to a milk shake. Any tea shaken is considered bubble tea because bubbles form after the shaking process.
The tapioca pearls are made from the cassava plant. The balls are boiled and cooled. Once cooled, they are coated with honey or sugar. The consistency of these little gems is somewhere between jello and gum. They are approximately the size of a marble.
Another variation of the beverage is to use flavored jellies instead of tapioca balls. Popular flavored jellies used are coconut or cognac jelly.
The first bubble tea shop originated in Taiwan in the 1980’s and has since grown. It has grown in popularity in the United States, in areas where there is a large amount of Asians. There are franchises in the United States, called Quickly and Lollipop that are growing in popularity. Other restaurants in California are Fantasia and Sweetheart Café.
This beverage can be made at home with ice tea mix, sugar, mint leaves and milk. The pearls can be bought in Asian grocery stores or on the internet. An unopened bag of pearls can last up to six months. You can add a variety of flavors depending on your taste. Some people prefer a fruity version without any milk products. If you enjoy being creative in the kitchen, you can make pearl tea at home, but it’s not easy. The starchy tapioca pearls can be hard to work with. If you boil them too long, they dissolve. Not long enough, and they are hard in the middle.
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